Worms: Open Warfare 2

I have a Worms baseball cap. I wear it proudly, and when I do people stop me and ask, “Is that Worms on your hat? Cool!” Those who are not gamers often ask, “What is it that thing on your hat? A worm? Why?”

It took several years for me to play the series but I turned into an addict as soon as that moment came. You control a small army of worms, and though that might sound as appealing as staring at a real-life ant farm, its developers have made it cool and fun. Because what you’re controlling isn’t really a bunch of slimy creatures. These worm-shaped soldiers are dangerous military men that command the world’s deadliest weapons. Mines, bazookas, heat-seeking rockets – these are the weapons you’ll be using. They are one of several reasons why this series is loved by so many gamers.

Worms: Open Warfare proved to be a success last year, leading to the newly release sequel for PSP and Nintendo DS. When first loading the PSP version I wondered if the series could be improved without next-gen hardware. Half-way into a Quick Game level I paused the game, looked around my room and muttered, “Alright, my weekend’s booked.” Door closed. Phone off.

Bomber. Man!

In a nutshell, Worms: Open Warfare 2 continues the series’ legacy of delivering fantastic strategy gameplay that’s both turn-based and side-scrolling. Players are once again placed in the shoes of fantasy-themed worms. Campaign, Puzzles, Time Attack and Training make up the list of single-player modes, with Quick Game being offered for entertainment on a single-level basis.

Campaign is the primary mode where you’ll battle the most lethal worms in numerous historical and fantasy settings. The costumes, backdrops and whatnot are just for added fun. Gameplay is still this series’ number-one focus. The power bar and trajectory crosshair system – which lets you aim weapons vertically and horizontally and determine how forcefully they’ll be shot – is back and works great on PSP. The widescreen gives players the best gameplay perspective possible, but you’ll still have to zoom out and move the camera around (using the thumbstick) to view every part of the game’s massive stages.

Puzzle might sound like a peculiar mode to have in a Worms game, but it’s actually very clever – and very entertaining. Rather than battle as normal, you’re asked to complete an objective in confinement or with unusual requirements. This really has to be seen and played, so I’ll refrain from giving too much away. But I must talk about one of the puzzles. You win by arriving at the exit point, which can only be reached by launching your worm down an ice bank. There is no slithering in this stage – you are stuck to the ice like glue. To move you must plant a mine. It’ll explode and launch your worm into the air. However, you won’t go anywhere if the worm is pointed in the wrong direction when the mine goes off. Thus, you’re going to want aim your worm away from the direction you wish to travel, as you’ll be thrust backwards upon the explosion.

Players will want to take full advantage of the Landscape (level) Editor. The editor options are straightforward and do not require a tutorial, but their depth is virtually unheard of in handheld gaming. You can shape the level in any way you desire. Just pick the draw tool and go crazy. Something tells me this feature works a lot better on the DS, where you can actually draw on the screen. But the PSP’s thumbstick is very capable. Unless you’re a perfectionist, you won’t need patience to design a cool stage.

Up Your Arsenal

The weapon/gadget lineup is brilliant. It’s also very large, so I’m going to break up the list into different sections. Let’s begin with the self-explanatory selection: Bazooka, Homing Missile, Grenade, Uzi, Dynamite, Cluster Bomb, Proximity Mine, and Sentry Gun.

Next there’s the Holy Hand Grenade (more power than the original), Banana Bomb (explodes and releases additional bombs), Boomerang (push enemies away or use it to retrieve crates), Electro Magnet (attract or repel metallic weapons), Shotgun (not the strongest weapon but may be used twice per turn), Sheep (a walking landmine – press X to detonate), Super Sheep (this one can fly), Buffalo of Lies (rams into anyone and anything), Dragonball (a strong punch), Firepunch (damages enemies while launching them into the air), and Kamikaze (farewell, worm!).

Third, we have the Blowtorch (damage enemies and blast through the environment), Pneumatic Drill (similar to the Blowtorch but only moves downward), Girder (disperse these platforms to climb), Ninja Rope (another way to climb), Parachute (don’t take a leap of faith – just glide), Teleport (transport yourself to a different part of the stage), Jetpack (worms can fly!), Lightning Strike (resurrect dead worms), Bunker Buster (mark the attack point and watch the fireworks), and Air Strike (mark your target for this one as well and enjoy).

Lastly there’s the Concrete Donkey, but words can’t really describe it – but it does deal a lot of damage. You also have the option to Prod enemies to harmlessly push them into landmines, causing damage, or into the water, which will kill them. Surrender and Skip Go (skip a turn by jumping rope) options are available too, just incase.

Open For Addiction

Worms: Open Warfare 2 is top-of-the-line strategy game entertainment. It’s so different from everything else that’s out there (outside of other Worms games, of course). If you enjoy the series, don’t wait for Christmas, your birthday or some other big day – this is a game to own now, before the crazy fall gaming months are here. And if you’ve never played a Worms game before, make this your first journey into the greatest multi-platform strategy franchise.

Gameplay: 8.5
Excellent, comedic, strategy game action. You’ll cry tears of joy…and tears of anger, slam your fist down on the floor, and wonder why that Homing Missile had to miss. These are side effects of all great strategy games. Win or lose, joyous or torturous, this game is a blast and a non-stop addiction.

Graphics: 7.0
The general graphics, coloring, animations, etc., haven’t changed much. But the backgrounds are more dynamic – behind each stage are full-motion videos of pirate ships, warplanes and other cool displays. The videos run as you play through each stage and look great on PSP.

Sound: 6.9
A good score that’s highly repetitive. At first you’ll be surprised by how good the music is, and later be annoyed that each song is used for multiple stages.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
The game is fair – sometimes too fair, sometimes not. You’ll think the AI is stupid from time to time (why do bosses blow up themselves?), but overall this game has a decent challenge.

Concept: 7.9
The new weapons, levels, and refined gameplay mechanics are wonderful.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Multiplayer will help keep this UMD spinning in your PSP. Two to four players can compete online (infrastructure) or ad hoc.

Overall: 8.5
A must-own strategy game.